Small and mid-sized businesses need financial clarity—but most can’t afford a full-time CFO.

That’s why a new category is emerging: AI CFO tools.
These platforms combine data from your bank, accounting software, and operations to forecast cash flow, flag risks, and automate smarter decisions.

But not all AI CFO tools are built the same.

What an AI CFO Should Actually Do

A real AI CFO platform goes beyond dashboards or reporting. It should:

  • Forecast cash in real time
    → See cash position today, next week, and 30 days out
  • Flag financial risk early
    → Catch margin drift, payment timing issues, or revenue dips
  • Optimize spending and vendor payments
    → Recommend what to pay, when, and how
  • Trigger capital before shortfalls
    → Offer credit based on live needs—not static limits
  • Give decisions, not just data
    → Act like a controller, not a spreadsheet

Top AI CFO Tools in the Market

Here’s how the top players stack up for SMBs:

1. Finz – AI CFO Built for Real Businesses

Finz offers a full financial operating system—not just insights.

  • Live cash flow forecasting from banks, accounting, POS
  • Smart payment sequencing across Card, ACH, and Credit
  • Embedded lending engine that allocates capital before gaps hit
  • Unified view across banking, QuickBooks, and vendors
  • Designed for businesses without FP&A teams—but with complex decisions

Ideal for: SMBs with $5M–$20M revenue, especially in food, retail, logistics

2. Runway

  • Beautiful dashboards for cash runway, burn rate, and scenario planning
  • Primarily used by VC-backed startups with predictable SaaS revenue
  • Requires CFO or finance lead to operate effectively

Ideal for: SaaS startups, venture-funded finance teams

3. Zeni

  • Bookkeeping + AI reporting bundled into one platform
  • Offers automated categorization and monthly close
  • Limited real-time forecasting or cash control features

Ideal for: Early-stage startups with light transaction volumes

What SMBs Actually Need

  • Real-time over historical → Don’t wait 30 days to discover a problem
  • Action over analysis → You need decisions, not dashboards
  • Cash-first over accounting-first → Accounting systems track history. You need to manage liquidity.

Final Word

AI CFO tools should feel like a controller in your pocket—not just another app.

If you’re still running your business from a spreadsheet, Finz gives you the system-level intelligence that helps you stay funded, stay profitable, and stay in control.